AAA: SWB rained out
AA: Trenton rained out.
High A: Tampa (63-71) split a DH.
Reg. sched. game: Lost 4-0, getting just 2 hits. SS Diego Castillo’s 3 errors led to 3 unearned runs.
Makeup of 8/27 rainout: Won 5-3. Castillo 2 hits, RBI. 1B Steven Sensley 2 hits, 2 RBI.
Low A: Charleston (69-66) lost 8-5. LF Canaan Smith 2 hits, .306. RF Josh Stowers 2 RBI. C Eduardo Navas 3 hits, 2 RBI. 2 solo HR.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Minor Leagues, Players, Regular Season
From MLB.com
Yankees (Surprise): Daniel Bies, RHP; Glenn Otto, RHP; Donny Sands, C; Josh Stowers, OF; Brandon Wagner, 1B
Acquired from the Mariners in an offshoot of the Sonny Gray trade in January, Stowers has a chance to have four average or better tools, with his arm the lone exception. Otto has had difficulty staying healthy but can reach 97 mph and devastate hitters with his curveball when he’s at 100 percent.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Minor Leagues, Players
This was a stinker in many ways. The Yanks only got four hits and only scored one run, that on a passed ball. They made four errors, two by Gary Sanchez. They gave up 14 runs in losing to Toronto, 14-1, Wednesday night.
They have to clean up their act before the playoffs start next week. Even Luke Voit compared them to the Bad News Bears last night.
In one of the innings, they loaded the bases with no one out and didn’t score.
It got so bad that backup C Erik Kratz had to pitch…. again. His second pitching appearance in less than a week.
And the defense could be the Yanks’ Achilles heel come playoff time. Despite excellent defensive players like D.J. LeMahieu and Gio Urshela, the Yanks’ fielding percentage ranks as one of the worst, if not THE worst in the AL this year, and is the Yanks’ worst since 1988 (from a NJ.com article). Besides Sanchez, Gleyber Torres also is at fault, as Torres is a better 2B than SS, but LeMahieu is at 2B. Besides Sanchez’ two errors, another error last night was made by Torres.
You really have to wonder at this point if the Yanks are better off just going with Higashioka the rest of the way. His defense is unquestionably better than Sanchez’, and his bat, normally far worse, is much better at the present time, especially after Sanchez went 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts last night to drop his batting average to a ghastly .143.
With a Rays win and the Yanks’ loss, the Rays clinched the AL East title. Minnesota has jumped over the Chicago White Sox for the AL Central lead, so at present the Yanks are the #5 seed, two games behind the White Sox with four games to go. Should it stay like this, the Yanks play the White Sox, all three games in Chicago, in the best-of-3 first round.
Masahiro Tanaka gave up two runs right away in the first inning. One was unearned because of a Sanchez error.
The Yanks’ only run came in the top of the second. Luke Voit walked, then with one out, Aaron Hicks walked. Gio Urshela singled to load the bases. Voit scored on a PB. With a chance to tack on, Sanchez struck out and Clint Frazier flied out.
The Blue Jays got an unearned run, courtesy of Torres’ error, in the third, then scored two more in the fourth, helped along by an error by Luke Voit.
Toronto got eight in the sixth to break the game wide open, four runs coming off of Tyler Lyons, who was making his first appearance of the season. Sanchez made his second error (catcher interference) in this inning.
LeMahieu 2 hits, .360. 2 of the Yankees’ four hits.
Both Sanchez and Giancarlo Stanton were 0 for 4, 3 strikeouts.
Tanaka (L, 3-3, 3.56) 4 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 3 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Cessa 1 1/3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 1 W, 1 K. 3.74
Lyons 1 2/3 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 1 W, 0 K. 1 HBP, 21.60 Season debut
Kratz 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 9.00. Gave up 1 HR. Backup C.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Players, Postseason, Regular Season
Tagged Cessa, Higashioka, Kratz, LeMahieu, Lyons, Sanchez, Tanaka, Torres, Voit
Yes, it appears that Kyle Higashioka has become Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher, and based on the results last night and in his past few outings, should remain so come the postseason.
Helped by a healthy attack, Cole beat the Blue Jays 12-1 last night. The Yankees (32-23) remain as the #5 seed, 1 1/2 games behind the Twins with 5 games to go.
This was the last regular season start for the Yankees’ ace, who went 7-3, 2.84 in the regular season.
The Yanks scored twice in the first inning. Wirth one out, Aaron Judge walked and Aaron Hicks tripled him home. HIcks then scored on a WP.
With two out in the top of the fourth, Gleyber Torres doubled and was driven home by Gio Urshela’s single. 3-0.
Cole made one mistake that cost him all night. Cavan Biggio hit a solo HR off him in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Yanks’ lead to 3-1.
The Yanks came right back with four runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, Higashioka singled. LeMahieu was HBP. Judge singled in a run and everyone moved up on the throw. Hicks singled in two, stole second, then scored on a single by Torres. 7-1.
The Yanks got three in the top of the eighth. With two out, Urshela doubled, and Clint Frazier walked. Brett Gardner singled in a run. Kyle Higashioka’s drive hit the very top of the wall, just missing a HR. Instead, a 2-run double. 10-1 Yanks.
The Yanks closed out the scoring with two in the top of the ninth. Judge singled. Mike Tauchman walked. After an out, Torres singled in Judge, Tauchman moving to third. Urshela singled to make it 12-1, which was the final score.
Judge 3 hits, RBI
Hicks 2 hits, 3 RBI
Torres 3 hits, 2 RBI
Urshela 4 hits, 2 RBI
Higashioka 2 hits, 2 RBI
Cole (W, 7-3, 2.84) 7 IP, 1 R, 5 W, 0 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.00
Ottavino 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 5.71
Posted in Mike's Musings, Players, Postseason, Regular Season
Tagged Britton, Cole, Gardner, Hicks, Higashioka, Judge, Ottavino, Torres, Urshela
The Yanks don’t seem to like Buffalo too much. Buffalo is the COVID-19 induced “home” of the Toronto Blue Jays this year, and in the games played there this year, the Yanks haven’t fared too well.
Last night the Yankees (31-23) lost 11-5, dropping them 1 1/2 games behind the Twins for that #4 playoff seed. There are only six games left. The Twins at 33-22 have five games left. If things stay like this, the Yanks will not have a home playoff game. All three games in the first round would be in Minnesota and if the Yanks advance, they then head to the “bubble” in California for the ALDS and ALCS. The WS will be at another neutral bubble in Texas. The Yanks are 21-7 at Yankee Stadium this year, 10-16 on the road.
The lack of a minor league season has really hurt Michael King. Hopefully he can learn from his MLB experience this year but it is becoming apparent he needed more minor league time to develop–minor league time not available during this COVID dominated year. Sending someone to the alternate site isn’t the same as sending them down for AAA games.
King, 25, had 15 games at AA (6-3, 3.14) and 10 games at AAA (7-1, 2.30) so 25 games equals basically a full season of AA or higher experience. Nice records but the majors are different. He’s 1-2, 7.76 in the majors this season. More minor league experience would have helped, but it just isn’t there this year.
The Yanks scored first, getting a run in the top of the second. With one out, Gleyber Torres walked. Aaron Hicks walked, and Gio Urshela singled in Torres.
King gave up five runs in the bottom of the third, the last two coming in when Jonathan Loaisiga gave up a double allowing two inherited runners to score.
Loaisiga, good this year until last night, then gave up four runs in the bottom of the fourth. 9-1.
Nick Nelson, a pitcher in the same boat as King, gave up a HR in the bottom of the sixth. 10-1 Toronto.
The Yanks got a run in the top of the seventh. Torres led off with a walk, moved to third on a double by Hicks and scored on a groundout by Urshela. 10-2.
Chad Green gave up a HR in the bottom of the seventh. 11-2.
The Yanks got three in the top of the ninth. With one out, Urshela singled. With two out, both Brett Gardner and Tyler Wade walked. With the bases loaded, Mike Tauchman doubled all three runners home.
I haven’t cared too much for C Gary Sanchez’ pitch selection at times this year (in addition to Sanchez’ low batting average), and in reading a recent article, it seems manager Aaron Boone was questioning Sanchez the other day about it too. It will be interesting to see if Kyle Higashioka catches Gerrit Cole again tonight. Has Higgy become Cole’s personal catcher? Will we see that in the postseason? Tonight will be Cole’s last start before the postseason, Game 1 of the first round vs. (it appears to be) the Twins.
LeMahieu 2 hits (.365)
Tauchman 3 RBI
Urshela 2 hits, 2 RBI
King (L, 1-2, 7.76) 2 2/3 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 1 W, 6 K.
Loaisiga 1 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 W, 0 K. 3.86
Nelson 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 2 K. 5.09 Gave up 1 HR.
Green 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.80 Gave up 1 HR.
Ottavino 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 6.06
Posted in Managers and Coaches, Media, Mike's Musings, Minors, Players, Postseason, Regular Season
Tagged Boone, Cole, Green, Higashioka, King, LeMahieu, Loaisiga, Nelson, Ottavino, Sanchez, Tauchman, Urshela
Maybe pitching in the place (Fenway Park) where his idol, Pedro Martinez, made his mark was too much for young, 21 year old Deivi Garcia. Maybe he just didn’t have it. But Michael Chavis hit two homers off him, and after twelve straight wins over Boston, eight of them this year, the Yanks (31-22) finally lost to Boston, 10-2.
Chavis hit a two-run HR in the second, and added a three-run HR in the third and Boston was up 6-0.
The Yankees’ bats didn’t provide much help. They didn’t get their first hit until the sixth inning, and got only three for the game.
In the sixth, Tyler Wade doubled for the Yanks’ first hit, and went to third on a PB. After a walk to D.J. LeMahieu, Wade scored when Luke Voit GIDP.
Jonathan Holder gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh, one on a solo HR by Bobby Dalbec, and Boston went up 9-1.
Yankees’ backup C Erik Kratz gave up a HR to J.D. Martinez in the 8th and the Yanks were down 10-1.
Luke Voit hit his MLB leading 21st HR in the top of the ninth for the final of 10-2.
Even with the loss, the Yanks clinched a posteason berth when Seattle lost.
But the loss did knock the Yanks into the #5 seed for now. They are 31-22, while the Twins are 33-22. The way it looks now, the Twins, a familiar Yankees’ postseason opponent, and so-far, Yankees’ punching bag in the postseason, will be their opponent again.
The Yanks are moving back Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka in the rotation to set them up for starting Games 1 and 2 of the playoffs.
Voit solo HR (21)
Garcia (L, 2-2, 4.88) 3 IP, 6 R, 8 H, 1 W, 2 K. Gave up 2 HR.
Cessa 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K. 2.21
Holder 2 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 1 W, 0 K. 5.03 Gave up 1 HR.
Kratz 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 9.00 Gave up 1 HR. (BACKUP C)
Got to say, I’m not sure how much I trust Holder or Ottavino right now.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Players, Postseason, Regular Season
Tagged Cessa, Cole, Garcia, Holder, Kratz, Ottavino, Tanaka, Voit
The Yankees have beaten Boston in every game this season, and will play them for the final time on Sunday.
On Saturday night, J.A. Happ was superb in pitching eight innings in an 8-0 shutout of the Red Sox.
As of right now, the Yanks have four starters who are all clicking and who all have ERAs of 3.30 or lower. That’s a good, encouraging sign as the playoffs draw near.
With the win, the Yanks remain three percentage points ahead of the Twins for the #4 seed in the AL.
The Yankees got two runs right away in the top of the first inning. D.J. LeMahieu (.368 leads MLB; leads AL in OPB, OPS and OPS+) singled, and Aaron Judge walked. Both runners moved up on a passed ball. With one out, Luke Voit (20 HR leads MLB) walked to load the bases. Gio Urshela hit a SF for one run, and Clint Frazier singled in another. 2-0, Yankees.
The Yanks scored twice in the fourth to go up 4-0. With one out, Frazier singled. He moved up to second, and Mike Tauchman reached first, on an error. Kyle Higashioka singled in a run, Tauchman going to third. Tyler Wade drove in the second run on a forceout.
In the fifth, Judge led off with a single but was caught trying to steal second. Brett Gardner singled and scored all the way from first on a single by Voit. Voit’s foot problems held him at first. After another out, Frazier hit a 2-run HR (8), to make it 7-0.
The Yanks made it 8-0 in the top of the ninth. With one out, Gardner walked, moved to second on a WP, to third on a single by Voit, and scored when Urshela hit a SF that turned into a DP (Gardner scored before Voit was doubled up).
Nick Nelson finished off the shutout.
LeMahieu 2 hits (see above; MLB leader in BA, AL leader in OBP, OPS, OPS+)
Gardner 2 hits
Voit 2 hits, RBI
Urshela 2 RBI
Frazier 3 hits, 2-run HR (8), 3 RBI
Happ (W, 2-2, 3.25) 8 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 W, 9 K.
Nelson 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 5.17
UPDATE: The Yanks’ magic # to reach the postseason is 1. Win #31 guarantees the Yanks a winning season. They haven’t had a losing season since 1992.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Players, Regular Season
Tagged Frazier, Gardner, Happ, Higashioka, LeMahieu, Nelson, Urshela, Voit, Wade
The Yanks (30-21) were down 4-0 at one point. They were one out away from losing the game in nine innings, came close to losing it in extras, but pulled out a 6-5, 12-inning win over Boston Friday night.
It was the Yankees’ ninth straight win.
Starter Jordan Montgomery gave up a 3-run HR to Christian Arroyo in the fourth inning and Boston was up 3-0. The Red Sox got another run in the fifth and were up 4-0.
Meanwhile, the Yanks’ bats, so hot in those last three games at home against Toronto, had cooled off in Fenway.
The Yanks finally scored in the seventh when they cut Boston’s lead to 4-2. Giancarlo Stanton walked, and after a strikeout and force out, Aaron Hicks singled Gleyber Torres to second. Gio Urshela walked to load the bases and Gary Sanchez hit a ground rule double to drive in two runs.
With one out in the top of the eighth, Aaron Judge singled and scored on a double by Stanton.
Down to their last out, with two outs in the top of the ninth, Sanchez tied the game with his tenth HR of the season.
So the game went into extra innings, with those rules in which the half-inning starts with a guy on second.
Both teams got the runner over to third in the tenth, but neither could score.
In the top of the eleventh, Mike Tauchman started the inning at second and was singled in by Luke Voit.
But Boston tied it in the bottom of the eleventh. After tying the game, the Red Sox had the bases loaded with one out, but Jonathan Loaisiga got out of it.
In the top of the twelfth, Hicks started the inning at second base. Gio Urshela singled him to third, and after two strikeouts, D.J. LeMahieu doubled in a run to put the Yanks up 6-5.
Boston got the tying run to third in the bottom of the twelfth, but could not score him.
Final 6-5, Yanks.
With nine games left in the regular season, it doesn’t appear the Yanks, 3 1/2 back of Tampa Bay, will catch the Rays. It’s the Yanks own fault for going 2-8 against Tampa Bay this year. But they did move 3 percentage points ahead of the Twins for the 4th seed in the virus-caused expanded playoff race, important because the #5 seed would have to play all three games in the best-of-3 first round at the #4 seed. The Yanks are 30-21, .588 and the Twins are 31-22, .585.
LeMahieu GW RBI
Hicks 2 hits
Sanchez 2 hits, solo HR (10), 3 RBI
Montgomery 4 2/3 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 2 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR. 5.12
Cessa 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.45
Ottavino 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 6.46
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.12
Green1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.63
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.72
Loiasiga (W, 3-0; BS, 2; 2.70) 2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Just a thought. You have defensive replacements for the infielders and outfielders, like subbing Gardner or Tauchman for Frazier, or putting Wade at 2B while moving LeMahieu to 1B to sub for Voit.
Something to think about. If the Yanks are using 3 catchers, why then not sub Higashioka, better defensively than Sanchez, in those extra-inning games where a WP or PB can kill you? Especially in an extra-inning POSTSEASON GAME?
I don’t see Montgomery starting a postseason game. Not when he is sitting with a 5.12 ERA while Cole is at 3.00, Tanaka 3.27, Garcia 3.28 and Happ 3.96.
Albert Pujols passed Willie Mays on the all-time HR list last night with HRS 661 & 662. The top five are now Barry Bonds, 762*; Henry Aaron 755; Babe Ruth 714; Alex Rodriguez 696*; Pujols 662. Mays is next at 660 . Also with 600 or more are Ken Griffey, Jr. at 630, Jim Thome at 612 and Sammy Sosa at 609*. (Asterisks mine).
Posted in Awards, Ex-Players, Mike's Musings, Players, Regular Season
Tagged Britton, Cessa, Chapman, Green, Hicks, Higashioka, LeMahieu, Loaisiga, Mays, Montgomery, Ottavino, Pujols, Sanchez, Stanton, Voit
Six consecutive batters. Five HR among those six.
Five HR in the same inning.
First team in MLB history to hit six or more HR in three consecutive games.
There’s mashing, and there is MASHING.
The Yanks (29-21) won their eighth straight game, 10-7 over Toronto Thursday night (and it wasn’t that close. Toronto got 4 in the top of the ninth) and by sweeping the three game series against the Blue Jays, opened up space between them and Toronto. Not only that, the #5 seed (as of now) Yankees are just one game behind the #4 seed (as of now) Twins. That is the difference between having all three games in the first round be at home or on the road.
The scores in this three game bludgeoning of Toronto were 20-6, 13-2 and 10-7. As mentioned, if Jonathan Holder does his job last night instead of being sloppy, that last game would have been 10-3.
The Yankees got two runs in the first inning when D.J. LeMahieu walked, Luke Voit doubled him to third, and Aaron Hicks walked to load the bases. Giancarlo Stanton singled in one run, and the second scored when Gleyber Torres GIDP.
Masahiro Tanaka gave up two runs in the top of the third, one on a solo HR by Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., and the game was tied.
Then, in the bottom of the fourth, came a power show you had to see to believe. You’ve never seen anything like it before.
With one out, Clint Frazier walked. Gary Sanchez doubled to make it 3-2.
Then…
Brett Gardner homered (5). 5-2.
D.J. LeMahieu homered (10). 6-2. Back-to back HR.
Luke Voit made it three HR in a row (MLB leading 20th). 7-2.
Aaron Hicks struck out.
Giancarlo Stanton homered (4) 8-2.
Gleyber Torres homered (3) 9-2. Back-to-back HR.
Six straight batters. 5 HR. Three in a row, then after a strikeout, back-to-back. Wow.
Gurriel hit another HR off of Tanaka in the fifth. 9-3, Yankees.
Sanchez homered (9) in the bottom of the seventh to make it 10-3 and enable the Yanks to set the record of first team with six or more HR in three consecutive games.
As mentioned above, things got sloppy in the top of the ninth. Jonathan Holder couldn’t do his job to close it out and Aroldis Chapman was needed to do so. Final 10-7.
The Yanks now go to Boston to hopefully put a lot of dents into the Green Monster or the seats above it.
LeMahieu (.373) solo HR (10) Leads MLB in BA, OPS+, AL in OBA, OPS
Voit 2 hits, solo HR (20—leads MLB) also leads AL in SA.
Stanton 4 hits, 2 RBI, solo HR (4)
Torres solo HR (3)
Sanchez 2 hits, 2 RBI Solo HR (9)
Gardner 2 hits, 2 RBI. A 2-run HR (5)
Tanaka (W, 3-2, 3.27) 7 IP, 3 R, 7 H, 0 W, 5 K. Gave up 2 HR.
Ottavino 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 6.91
Holder 1/3 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 2 W, 0 K. 4.08
Chapman (S, 3) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 4.15
One night after hitting 6 HR in a 20-6 win over Toronto, the Yankees (28-21) kept pouring it on, hitting 7 HR in a 13-2 win over Toronto last (Wednesday) evening.
It was the very first time in franchise history that the Yanks hit six or more HR in consecutive games.
The Yanks have now won seven games in a row.
Backup C Kyle Higashioka hit 3 of those 7 HR. D.J. LeMahieu hit 2.
LeMahieu led off the bottom of the first with a HR (8) to give the Yanks a quick 1-0 lead.
They got two more in the third when Tyler Wade singled and Higashioka hit a 2-run HR (2). 3-0, Yankees.
Clint Frazier led off the bottom of the fourth with a HR (7) to make it 4-0, Gary Sanchez singled, and two outs later, LeMahieu hit his second HR (9) of the game to make it 6-0. Before D.J.’s HR, Higashioka’s out was a long drive. He almost had a four homer game (done just once in Yankees history—by Lou Gehrig).
With Gerrit Cole on the mound, that was more than enough.
Aaron Hicks led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, moved to second on a groundout, and after another out, scored on a single by Frazier. 7-0.
Toronto scored a run in the top of the sixth, when they got their first hit, combined with a WP by Cole, but the Yanks came right back with four runs. With one out, Higashioka hit his second HR (3) of the game to make it 8-1. LeMahieu doubled, and after another out, Hicks walked. Luke Voit then hit a 3-run HR to make it 11-1. Voit’s 19th HR of the season leads the majors.
In the bottom of the seventh, after a walk and a GIDP, Wade walked and Higashioka hit his THIRD HR of the game to make it 13-1.
Nick Nelson gave up a run on a two-out solo HR to Toronto in the top of the ninth. Final 13-2.
Aaron Judge came off the IL, and going down was Thairo Estrada.
LeMahieu 3 hits (.373) 2 HR (9), 3 RBI
Voit 3-run HR (19, leads MLB)
Frazier 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (7)
Higashioka 3 hits, all 3 hits HR (4); 5 RBI
Cole (W, 6-3, 3.00) 7 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 W, 8 K. 100TH MLB win.
Loaisiga 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 3.00
Nelson 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR. 5.52
It’s the third time Cole was paired with Higashioka and third straight good outing. Personal catcher?
UPDATE: James Paxton has been placed on the 45 day I.L., effectively ending his season. Since he is a free agent at the end of the season (and has a flexor tendon issue right now in his pitching forearm), his Yankees tenure could be over.
Posted in Awards, Ex-Players, In-Season Moves, Mike's Musings, Players, Regular Season
Tagged Cole, Estrada, Frazier, Gehrig, Higashioka, Judge, LeMahieu, Loaisiga, Nelson, Paxton, Voit
The Yankees (27-21) moved back into second place in the AL East with a 6-HR, 20-run drubbing of Toronto Tuesday night. The final score was 20-6.
As it now stands, with 12 games left in the season, the Yanks would be the #5 seed in the AL and would head to Minnesota to play a familiar postseason foe, the Twins.
Before the game, the Yanks sent down to the alternate site Clarke Schmidt, Miguel Andujar and Mike Ford. Coming off the IL were Giancarlo Stanton, Gio Urshela and Jonathan Loaisiga.
After the game, Thairo Estrada was sent back, so it appears as if Aaron Judge comes off the IL tonight.
Deivi Garcia pitched a strong seven innings to pick up his seventh MLB win in his fourth MLB start. Other than Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., Garcia didn’t have much trouble with the rest of the Blue Jays lineup.
Luke Voit hit two of the Yankees’ six HR in the game to take over the MLB HR lead at 18. He is a strong MVP candidate.
Guerrero hit a HR off of Garcia in the top of the second to make it 1-0 Toronto.
The Yanks came back with seven in the bottom of the second. With one out, Urshela, who had a great game just coming off the IL, doubled. Clint Frazier reached on an error (Toronto RF Derek Fisher had an awful night), moving Urshela to third. Brett Gardner singled in Urshela to tie the game. After an out, Tyler Wade singled in Frazier to make it 2-1. D.J. LeMahieu singled Gardner to make it 3-1. Luke Voit then hit a 3-run HR (17) to make it 6-1 and Aaron Hicks made it back to back HR with his fifth. 7-1 Yanks.
The Yanks added five more in the bottom of the third to go up 12-1 and the game was basically over. Urshela walked, went to second on a balk, and Frazier walked. Gardner walked to load the bases. Sanchez was HBP, forcing in a run. Wade walked, forcing in another run. LeMahieu cleared the bases with a 3-run double. 12-1.
Garcia gave up a 2-run HR to Gurriel in top of the fourth that cut the lead to 12-3.
The Yanks came right back with four in the bottom of the fourth to make it 16-3. Urshela doubled, Frazier walked, and after an out, Sanchez hit a 3-run HR (8). After another out, LeMahieu doubled, and Voit singled in LeMahieu.
Voit hit a solo HR in the bottom of the sixth (18). 17-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, Urshela singled and Frazier hit a 2-run HR (6). 19-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, LeMahieu hit a solo HR (7). 20-3.
Michael King gave up 3 runs in the top of the ninth. It does appear he needed minor league time this year, but alas, no minors this COVID year, so he is getting a bit of a rude awakening on the MLB level.
LeMahieu 4 hits, solo HR (7), 5 RBI. .363
Voit 3 hits, 2 HR (MLB leading 18), 5 RBI.
Hicks solo HR (5)
Urshela 3 hits
Frazier 2 hits, 2-run HR (6)
Sanchez 4 RBI, a 3-run HR (8)
Wade 2 RBI
Garcia (W, 2-1, 3.28) 7 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 2 W, 6 K. Gave up 2 HR
King 2 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 2 W, 1 K. 6.75
Gerrit Cole pitches for the Yankees (who have won six straight) tonight. There are 12 games left in this shortened season.
Gleyber Torres didn’t start the game, but he sure ended it.
The Yanks (26-21) won their fifth straight, and swept the four game weekend series from Baltimore by winning 3-1 on Sunday.
Before the series, Baltimore was creeping up on the Yanks for a playoff spot. Not anymore.
J.A. Happ gave up a HR in the top of the second to Renato Nunez. 1-0, O’s.
Tyler Wade tied it up for the Yanks in the bottom of the third with his second HR of the season.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth. With two out, Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier both singled. Torres PH for Brett Gardner and doubled in two runs. 3-1 Yanks. Ballgame.
The Yanks are off Monday, 9/14.
Frazier 2 hits
Andujar 2 hits.
Torres 2 RBI
Wade solo HR (2)
Happ 5 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 0 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.96
Ottavino 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 7.43
Holder 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.08
Green 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.80
Britton (W, 1-2, 2.25) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.
Chapman (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 4.50
Maybe my post of yesterday helped. LOL. Albert Pujols tied Willie Mays on the all-time HR list with #660 on Sunday.
